Device for closing the caps or covers on friction-top cans



PATENTED APR. :17, 1906.

3.1). MURPHY. DEVICE FOR CLOSING THE GAPS 0R GOVERSON FRICTION TOP CANS.

I APPLICATION FILED D30. 1, 1905.

UNrTEn sTATns PATENT oFFIoE.

EDWARD D. MURPHY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,'ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF N EW'JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR CLOSING THE CAPS 0R COVERS 0N FRICTION-TOP CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1 906.

Application filed December 1, 1905. Serial Nag-89.919.

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Closing the Caps or Covers on Friction-Top Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in friction-top can-closing devices.

Heretofore in closing the caps or covers upon friction-top cans specially-constructed machines have usually been employed, into which the filled cans are placed one by one by hand under the closing-plunger of the machine, and the operation of closing the cans is somewhat slow and expensive and attended with liability of spilling the liquid contents of the cans in handling them to place them in the machine.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple hand-operated device by means of which the caps or covers may be perfectly closed upon friction-top cans while the cans rest upon the work-bench or filling-table and by which the labor and expense of handling the filled cans preparatory to the closing operation may be obviated.

My invention consists in the means I employ to accomplish this resultthat is to say, it consists in a friction-top can cap or cover closing chuck having a central boss or portion to fit in the central recess or countersink of the cap or cover to center the same, an annular shoulder to engage the. rim of the cap or cover to force the cover home on the can, and an annular stop shoulder adapted to en gage the outer upper rim of the can or its friction-top and arrest or limit the downward movement of the closing-chuck when the cap or cover is forced home or fully seated, a hollow anvil-sleeve or guide-sleeve secured to the chuck, and a reciprocating hand-hammer provided with a guide-stem for reciprocating in the anvil-sleeve of the chuck and rovided with a handle to reciprocate the iiammer and cause it to strike blows against the anvil-sleeve of the chuck, and thus force the cap or cover of the can home in the friction-top thereof. The guide stem of the hammer is furnished with a collar engaging an internal shoulder on the anvilsleeve, so that the anvil-sleeve and closing-chuck will not come disengaged from the handle and so that the operator may readily lift the closing-chuck and anvil from one can to another as the cans rest upon the bench or table.

By this simple device I am enabled to perfectly close the covers on friction-top cans very rapidly and cheaply and without any necessity of moving the filled cans at all from the work-bench or filling-table upon which they rest.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a friction-top cancover-closing device embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the workbench or table upon which the friction-top cans rest while being closed by my device.

B represents a friction-top can having the customary friction-top or annular head B, furnished with an annular friction-seat wall or flange 1) and raised annular rim or shoulder 6, and a friction cap or cover B having an annular friction-seat wall or flange b and folded'rim b D is my friction-top can-closing chuck, the same having a central boss or circular portion (1 to fit in the countersink or recess of the friction cap or cover B and thus center the chuck on the cap andcan. The closingchuck D is also provided with an annular shoulder (1, adapted to engage and bear against the annular rim 6 of the cap B to force said cap home on the can. The closing chuck D is further provided with an outer annular stop-shoulder d to engage the annular rim or shoulder b of the can and limit the downward movement of the closing-chuck in respect to the can and the extent to which the cover B may be forced into the annular top Bof the can by the blows of the handlehammer. The closing-chuck D is secured to a guide or anvil sleeve F, preferably removably, so that the closing-chuck may be readily taken off and replaced by another of different size for operating upon cans of different diameters. The guide or anvil sleeve F is preferably provided with a plug f in its lower end securely but removably secured thereto by a key f and the closingchuck D is rigidly and firmly secured to the lower end of the guide or anvil sleeve F by a screw cl".

H is a hand-operated reciprocating hammer, the same having a handle H and a guidestem H which fits in the guide or anvil sleeve F, which is attached to the closingchuck D. The guide-stem H of the handle is provided near its lower end with a collar h, and the guide-sleeve F on the closing-chuck is provided with a shoulder f 2 to limit the up ward stroke of the hammer. The guidestem H of the hammer is preferably in a sepa rate piece from the hammer and secured thereto by screw-threads h at its upper end. The hammer H near the lower end of its handle H is preferably furnished with an annular shoulder or guard h In operation the chuck of the closing device is placed on the cover of the can and the hammer reciprocated up and down, causing its lower end or face to strike blows against the closing-chuck or its interposed guidesleeve F, and thus force the cap or cover B into the annular top or head B of the can, thus firmly and securely seating the cover in place and driving it home. In this operation one or more blows maybe struck, as required. After the cover is thus closed on one can the closing-chuck D is lifted by the handle H onto another can and the operation repeated;

I claim 1. The hand-operated device for closing caps 01" covers on friction-top cans herein shown and described and comprising a closing-chuck having a central boss to fit the recess or countersink of the cap or cover, an annular shoulder to engage the rim of the cap or cover and an annular stop-shoulder to engage the rim of the can and limit the downward movement of the chuck in respct to the can, a guide secured to the closing-chuck and a reciprocating hand-operated hammer having a handle and a guide co operating with the guide 1(gindtheclosing-chuck, substantially as speci- 2. In a device for closing caps or covers on friction-top cans, the combination with a closing-chuck having a central boss and an annular shoulder to engage the rim of the cover and a stopshoulder to engage the rim of the can, a guide-sleeve or anvil secured to the chuck, a reciprocating hammer having a handle and a guide-stem fitting in the guidesleeve on the closing-chuck, substantially as specified.

3. In a device for closing caps or covers on friction-top cans, the combination with a closing-chuck having a central boss and an annular shoulder to engage the rim of the cover and a stop-shoulder to engage the rim of the can, a guide-sleeve or anvil secured to the chuck, a reciprocating hammer having a handle and a guide-stem fitting in the guidesleeve on the closing-chuck, the guide-sleeve on the closing-chuck having an internal shoul der to limit the upward movement of the handle-guide and the handle-guide having a cooperating collar or shoulder, substantially as specified.

4. In a device for closing caps or covers on friction-top cans, the combination with a closing-chuck having a guide-sleeve secured thereto and a reciprocating hammer having a handle and a guide-stem fitting in the guide sleeve of the chuck, substantially as specified. 5. In a device for closing caps or covers on friction-top cans, the combination with a closing-chuck having a guide-sleeve secured thereto and a reciprocating hammer having a handle and a guide-stem fitting in the guidesleeve of the chuck, and means for removably securing the closing-chuck to itsguide-sleeve, substantially as specified. 6. A hand-operated device for closing caps or covers on friction-top cans consisting in the combination witha closing-chuck and a handoperated hammer having a reciprocating connection with the closing-chuck for striking blows against the chuck as it rests on the cap or cover of the can, substantially as specified. 7. A hand-operated device for closing caps or covers on friction-top cans adapted to be lifted by hand from one can to another, and comprising a closing-chuck and a hammer adapted to be grasped in the hand and having a reciprocating connection with the closing chuck, substantially as specified.

EDWARD V D. MURPHY.

IVitnesses:

L. A. WELLEs, GEo. W. WEBER. 

